1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reciprocating cone anti-drainback apparatus for a filter used in a vehicle, which allows the transmission pump to remain primed with fluid and not have the fluid drained back through the filter, when the transmission is turned off.
2. Description of the Related Art
Transmission fluid in vehicles with automatic transmissions, is circulated through a filter to remove particles that may damage mechanical components of the transmission. When the vehicle engine is turned off, transmission fluid drains from the transmission pump via the filter, into the transmission sump. When the vehicle engine is turned on, the transmission pump is full of air, and it must evacuate this air to pull fluid upward from the filter, into the transmission pump. The transmission pump is not designed to have air flow through it, since its function is to create hydraulic pressure. Therefore, when the engine is turned on again, it takes time before the transmission fluid is pumped back into the transmission pump, causing noise and delay before the transmission pump is filled with oil at the appropriate pressure, and the vehicle is able to move.
In order to prevent the fluid from draining from the transmission pump into the filter after engine shutdown, a valve is implemented. This type of conventional valve is disposed at a predetermined location within the filter outlet and does not move in a vertical manner within the filter outlet. Rather, the conventional valve has a conical shape with sides that collapse to allow fluid to pass from the filter to the transmission pump when the engine is turned off, but whose sides move outwards to seal against the filter outlet""s wall to prevent fluid from draining back into the filter. However, the conventional valve is subject to wear, causing the valve to crack and/or lock in the collapsed position, preventing the valve from sealing against the filter outlet""s walls and allowing fluid to drain back into the filter. Alternatively, the conventional valve may employ components such as a sphere and spring to prevent flow of fluid back into the filter. As previously described, the aforementioned valve is subject to wear which in turn may cause the individual components of the valve to fail. In addition, the use of multiple components increases both the assembly cost and the difficulty of assembly.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a valve for keeping the transmission pump primed with fluid when the engine is turned off, so that when the engine is turned on again, the transmission pump will not cause noise and delay. It is also desirable to provide a valve that employs minimal components, resulting in ease of assembly, reduced assembly cost and greater valve life.
The object of the present invention is to identify a way to keep a vehicle transmission primed by keeping fluid in the pump when the engine is turned off.
The present invention comprises an anti-drainback apparatus for a filter used in a vehicle engine. In one embodiment of the present invention, the anti-drainback apparatus includes a neck member disposed at an outlet of the filter, the neck member having a seal disposed within the neck member and around an internal periphery thereof, and a reciprocating cone or conical body which is disposed in the neck member of the filter. The conical body is movable to either abut and seal with the neck member to prevent fluid from passing downward through the neck member and draining back into the filter, or unseal from the neck member and allow fluid to pass through the neck member and exit the filter.
Specifically, the conical body includes a top opening, slanted sides, and a platform base, the platform base having installation tabs attached thereto. The installation tabs are inserted into a central opening of a support rib which is disposed in the opening of the neck member. The support rib spans the opening and allows fluid to pass therethrough. The installation tabs have an outer ribbed portion (i.e., stop ribs) at the base thereof, the outer ribbed portions which abut the central opening of the support rib at an underside periphery thereof, to prevent the installation tabs from being removed from the central opening once the installations tabs are inserted in the support rib.
Therefore, when the engine is turned on and a vacuum is applied to the filter, the platform base of the conical body lifts to uncover the opening of the neck member, the slanted sides of the conical body unseal from the seal disposed in the neck member, allowing fluid to pass through the opening of the neck member, around and through cutouts in the slanted sides of the conical body and upward into the transmission. The conical body is retained in the neck member by the abutment of the outer ribbed portions of the installation tabs against the underside of the support rib at the periphery of the central opening.
When the engine is turned off, the vacuum is removed, and the conical body slides downward in the neck member and returns to a sealing position with the slanted sides of the conical body abutting against the seal, and the platform base covering the opening of the neck member. Thus, the fluid in the pump does not drain back down into the filter.
Accordingly, fluid is held in transmission pump after engine shutdown thereby reducing the time required for the transmission to reach operating pressure and minimizing start-up.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein, as well as the abstract included below, are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.